One thing John brought up was the mobile vs. desktop virtualization debate. His stance was that, far from detracting from desktop virtualization, mobile devices and tablets actually helped start the conversation in getting companies to seriously look into a broader desktop virtualization strategy.

“A lot of times people want to use their iPhone and hook it up with their corporate e-mail, or use an iPad at work,” he said.  ”That starts the conversation about what are we going to do about people wanting to bring their devices in, and how are we going to manage them.”

Whaley also said that that desktop would still dominate for the foreseeable future, even in more tablet-friendly businesses. “It’s not ‘We’re going to give iPads only,’” he said “It’s, in every case, an iPad is in addition to a laptop. It’s good for consuming but it’s not as good for creating content.”

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Michael Morisy is the editorial director for ITKnowledgeExchange. He can be followed on Twitter or you can reach him at Michael@ITKnowledgeExchange.com.